


Bat of the West

by VampirePaladin



Category: DC's Arrowverse
Genre: Gen, alternate universe - wild west
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:28:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21841432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VampirePaladin/pseuds/VampirePaladin
Summary: I slightly relaxed Kate's veganism.  While I tried not to purposely depict her consuming animal products that were obvious, I didn't worry about period stuff that might have animal products that wouldn't be known to most modern readers.The reason Kate seems to have one less shot than the gun holds is because some revolvers had to be left on an empty chamber to prevent the gun from going off in the holster.  So there would be six chambers, but it would only hold five rounds.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 4
Collections: Yuletide 2019





	Bat of the West

**Author's Note:**

  * For [escritoireazul](https://archiveofourown.org/users/escritoireazul/gifts).



Arrowhead was the biggest city in these parts. The Queen Mines fueled the local economy the most. Half of the adult population worked in those silver mines. Arrowhead was also a frequent stop for cattle to be driven through, being on the way to the closest train station, though there were bids being made to run tracks through the town. The Crows provided hired guns to protect anyone that could pay. For anyone else, there were just the two constables Quentin Lance and Joseph West.

Kate Kane hadn’t been back in town in years. She didn’t relish the thought of returning. It hadn’t felt like home since her mother and sister died in an attack by Jack Napier and his posse years ago. There was only one reason why she was coming back to town: money. 

It was a dusky evening when Kate rode into town on horseback. She went straight to Verdant Saloon, one of two of the watering holes in town. Light was shining out the windows and the open doors. Music, chatter, and the clinking of glass echoed out into the streets.

Kate pulled the bandanna down that had been used to keep the dust of the road out of her lungs, dismounted her horse, tied her off next to the other horses and stepped inside. The place was packed. There were law abiding civilians and wanted criminals alike mingling together. A man was playing the piano and a dark-haired woman in purple was dancing on a small stage. 

She stepped around a table where Leonard Snart, Mick Rory, and other members of the Legends Gang were playing cards. Kate stopped short as a drunken man started to fall from his chair, she grabbed him under his arms, hooked his chair with one foot and put him back in it. When she made it up to the bar there was a blonde woman bartending.

“What’ll it be?” she asked.

“Whiskey,” Kate said.

The bartender turned around to grab a bottle and a glass. She set the glass down and poured.

“Do you know where Dr. Thomas O’Shansey is?” Kate asked.

“I’ve never heard that name in my life.”

Kate frowned. She reached into the pocket of her duster and pulled out a folded-up newspaper clipping. She set it on the bar counter. It said that a Dr. Thomas O’Shansey was looking for a hired gun. It offered good pay and said to come to Arrowhead for more details.

The bartender looked at it and shook her head. “I don’t know what to tell you. We haven’t had a doc around town for almost a year now, not since the Wonderland Gang rode into town. The doc we did have was named Carter Bowen.”

“I see. Thank you for your help.” Kate took the drink and put some money on the counter. She turned around watched those around her. 

A nonexistent doctor and no pay were not what Kate would consider a good start.

* * *

Kate had gotten a room on the second floor above the saloon to spend the night in. It would just make things awkward if she went back home for the night.

She was up early and after a quick breakfast she went to the office of the Arrowhead Gazette, Arrowhead’s finest, and only, newspaper. She stepped inside to be met with the overwhelming scent of ink and paper.

“Can I help you?” asked a man with rolled up sleeves who approached her. He was tall and well-muscled, but he had an easy, friendly smile.

“Kate Kane,” she introduced herself.

“James Olsen. I run the Arrowhead Gazette.” He held out his hand and Kate shook it.

“Can you tell me anything about an ad put out by a Doctor Thomas O’Shansey?” Kate asked.

“We ran that ad, I think they also sent it to a dozen other newspapers via telegraph.”

“Who is the one that asked you to put the ad in the paper?” Kate pressed.

“I wasn’t in the office when that order came in. One of my reporters handled it.”

“And can I meet this reporter?” 

“Yes. I’ll take you back to meet her,” James said as he led her through the small building. 

There weren’t many people around. Kate guessed that there were no more than six people working here, but probably much less than that. She passed stacks of papers, references, and notes. There was a bookcase full of old reference books, a bulletin board filled with wanted posters and upcoming events that needed to be covered. He finally led her to a back office where a blonde woman with glasses was at a typewriter.

“Kate Kane, meet Kara Danvers, my best reporter.”

She looked up at Kate with bright blue eyes behind her glasses. “It is a pleasure to meet you. What can I do for you?”

“I’m looking for whoever put the Thomas O’Shansey ad out.” Kate was getting tired of saying that fake name over and over.

“That’s wonderful. I can take you right to them, but you have to swear not to tell a soul about who it’s for.”

Kate looked at Kara, curious about why there was so much secrecy about this job, before nodding and agreeing.

* * *

“Mary?”

“Kate!” 

Kate was not expecting the mysterious Dr. O’Shansey to actually be her younger stepsister, running a secret clinic that helped anybody that needed medical attention. From what she’d seen, Mary was better than most of the military doctors that Kate had encountered.

“Why all the secrecy?” Kate asked.

“It would cause a scandal if anyone found out about all of this and it got back to our parents. Kara helped me put the ad out there in secret.”

“To deal with the missing medicine.”

Mary nodded. “The stagecoach carrying the medicines I need was robbed for the second time. If the next shipment doesn’t arrive, I’m not going to be able to help as many people.”

“Do you have any idea who might be responsible?” 

“I’ve heard of a pair of outlaws. Maybe it was one of them?” Mary offered.

* * *

Kate dove behind a barrel as arrows were fired at her. She drew her revolver, but the green hooded man firing arrows kept her pinned behind the barrel. When the arrows stopped for a moment, she rose up to fire her revolver, but a woman in black leather was there, grabbed Kate’s wrist, and twisted, forcing Kate to drop the gun as she was painfully pinned.

“What are you doing following us?” the woman in black said.

“You’re the Siren and he’s the Arrow, right?” Kate asked. It was hard not to admire how good Siren looked in her outfit.

“That’s right,” Siren said. “And why are you following known outlaws? You are putting your life on the line.”

Kate smirked. “No, I’m not. I looked over the old newspapers about the two of you. You don’t kill that lightly. Getting caught seemed like the easiest way to speak to the two of you.”

“What do you want?” Arrow asked, lowering his voice and speaking in an almost growl.

“Do you know who’s been attacking the stagecoaches?”

Siren let go of Kate. “You don’t want to get involved with them.”

“Too late for that,” Kate said. She straightened herself out, working her sore arm.

“Alice is responsible for the attacks, but you don’t want to cross her,” Arrow said.

“Not even the Legends mess with Alice’s posse,” Siren added.

Kate made note that Siren seemed more familiar with the Legends than one would expect, but she didn’t press it. Instead, she said “Just tell me where to find them.”

“They have a place three miles west of town,” Arrow said.

“Thanks.” Kate looked at Siren winked and said, “I’ll buy you a drink later.”

“I don’t drink.” Siren had a small smirk on her own lips.

“That’s a shame.”

* * *

She found an abandoned homestead. Kate searched the house first and found no one inside. 

When she entered the barn, she saw two crates sitting out in the open. Kate felt her heart sink as realization hit her. This was a trap. The net under her feet shot up, trapping her inside.

Someone was clapping.

“Kate Kane, I was hoping Princess Nightingale would send a champion for me to slay with my dragon’s breath, but I wasn’t expecting this.”

Kate twisted around in the net to see a blonde woman, wearing a dress that was a century or two out of date, twirling a knife in her fingers. As the knife moved, light reflected off of a red stone set in it.

“Where’s the rest of your gang?” Kate demanded.

“Hmm, wouldn’t the champion like to know? Maybe they are out baking pies or maybe they are out stealing pies… Or maybe they are stringing a little princess up in the gallows. Off with her head.” Alice laughed, waving gracefully at Kate before walking out of the barn.

Kate struggled in the net, trying to get to the knife in her boot, but she just couldn’t reach it. She could reach her revolver. Kate struggled to pull it out. She aimed at the rope holding the net up, though the slow rotation of the net made it difficult. She slowly exhaled as she gave and even pull to the trigger. The bullet hit the rope, sending Kate crashing to the ground. She struggled out of the net and ran out the door to her waiting horse.

* * *

Her horse was foaming as she raced back to Arrowhead. She only hoped they wouldn’t take Mary to far from her clinic.

As she drew closer, she saw Mary being dragged out of her clinic, kicking and screaming, by three men. Another half dozen were jeering and laughing as they were getting a noose ready next to a tree. She only had four shots left. Kate pointed her revolver and rapidly let off three shots, dropping the men dragging Mary.

There were screams of surprise.

Kate put her horse between Mary and the remaining men, pointing her gun at them. They didn’t need to know that she only had one round left.

“Mary, get on,” Kate ordered, not taking her eyes off the started men reaching for their guns.

She heard Mary scramble onto the horse behind her. When she felt Mary’s hands around her waist, she had her horse gallop away. Shots were fired from behind them, but none struck the two women or the horse.

“Are you alright?” Kate asked as she holstered her gun.

“I’m fine,” Mary said in a shaky voice.

* * *

Kate found herself again in the presence of the Arrow and the Siren, this time they had the crates of medicine with them. Kate had been forced to leave them behind to rescue Mary.

“I thought you weren’t going to tangle with Alice?” Kate asked the two of them.

“Well, the two of you had her distracted enough that we were able to take them back,” Siren said.

“And you’re just giving them back out of the kindness of your hearts?” Kate asked with suspicion. 

“Something like that,” Arrow said.

“Mary has helped stitch us up in the past. We wanted to do a little to help,” Siren said.

“You two aren’t normal outlaws.” Kate was grinning at the two of them.

Siren snorted at the comment.

“I think I’ll be sticking around. What do you say to a date night rounding up members of Alice’s gang?” Kate said, she didn’t specify but her comment was clearly directed at Siren and not at the Arrow.

“I’ll go on ahead,” Arrow said.

Siren turned back to Kate. “Fine. Let’s go round them up.”

That night Kate learnt two things about Siren. The first, was that her name was Laurel. The second, was what she had under that leather outfit.

**Author's Note:**

> I slightly relaxed Kate's veganism. While I tried not to purposely depict her consuming animal products that were obvious, I didn't worry about period stuff that might have animal products that wouldn't be known to most modern readers.
> 
> The reason Kate seems to have one less shot than the gun holds is because some revolvers had to be left on an empty chamber to prevent the gun from going off in the holster. So there would be six chambers, but it would only hold five rounds.


End file.
